Abstract: A light source includes a plurality of laser diodes or other light emitters. Beams of light from the light emitters are steered to provide n array of parallel beams that illuminate a target area with an array of patches of light. In some embodiments the parallel beams are de-magnified to form the array of patches of light. Such a light source has application in illuminating dynamically-addressable focusing elements such as phase modulators, deformable mirrors and dynamically addressable lenses. Light projectors for a wide variety of applications may combine a light source as described herein with a dynamically-addressable focusing element to project defined patterns of light.

Abstract: A new projector design combines one spatial light modulator that affects only the phase of the illumination, and one spatial light modulator that only affects its amplitude (intensity). The phase-only modulator curves the wavefront of light and acts as a pre-modulator for a conventional amplitude modulator. This approach works with both white light and laser illumination, generating a coarse image representation efficiently, thus enabling, within a single image frame, significantly elevated highlights as well as darker black levels while reducing the overall light source power requirements.

Abstract: Apparatus and methods for mapping video signal parameters such as tone and color may be applied at various points in a video generation and delivery pipeline. apparatus may be configured to control mappings based on a range of inputs which may include one or more of: ambient conditions, user inputs, control information, adaptation models. Apparatus and methods may be applied to display video or other images so as to preserve a creative intent embodied in video or other image data.

Abstract: A free-form lens (for example a phase modulator, lens or deformable mirror) may be made to reproduce a light pattern specified by image data. Source regions on the free-form lens are mapped to target regions areas on an image. Areas of the source regions are adjusted to vary the amount of light delivered to each of the target regions. Adjustment of the source areas may be achieved using a L-BFGS optimization which preferably incorporates smoothness and curl regularizers. Embodiments apply parallel processing to obtain control values for a free form lens in real time or near real time. Apparatus may process image data and display an image by controlling a dynamically variable free form lens using the processed image data.

Abstract: A new projector design combines one spatial light modulator that affects only the phase of the illumination, and one spatial light modulator that only affects its amplitude (intensity). The phase-only modulator curves the wavefront of light and acts as a pre-modulator for a conventional amplitude modulator. This approach works with both white light and laser illumination, generating a coarse image representation efficiently, thus enabling, within a single image frame, significantly elevated highlights as well as darker black levels while reducing the overall light source power requirements.

Abstract: A free-form lens (for example a phase modulator, lens or deformable mirror) may be made to reproduce a light pattern specified by image data. Source regions on the free-form lens are mapped to target regions areas on an image. Areas of the source regions are adjusted to vary the amount of light delivered to each of the target regions. Adjustment of the source areas may be achieved using a L-BFGS optimization which preferably incorporates smoothness and curl regularizers. Embodiments apply parallel processing to obtain control values for a free form lens in real time or near real time. Apparatus may process image data and display an image by controlling a dynamically variable free form lens using the processed image data.

Abstract: A free-form lens (for example a phase modulator, lens or deformable mirror) may be made to reproduce a light pattern specified by image data. Source regions on the free-form lens are mapped to target regions areas on an image. Areas of the source regions are adjusted to vary the amount of light delivered to each of the target regions. Adjustment of the source areas may be achieved using a L-BFGS optimization which preferably incorporates smoothness and curl regularizers. Embodiments apply parallel processing to obtain control values for a free form lens in real time or near real time. Apparatus may process image data and display an image by controlling a dynamically variable free form lens using the processed image data.

Abstract: Image display apparatus and methods may use a single imaging element such as a digital mirror device (DMD) to spatially modulate plural color channels. A color channel may include a light steering element such as a phase modulator. Steered light from a light steering element may be combined with or replaced by additional light to better display bright images. These technologies may be provided together or applied individually.

Abstract: A light source includes a plurality of laser diodes or other light emitters. Beams of light from the light emitters are steered to provide n array of parallel beams that illuminate a target area with an array of patches of light. In some embodiments the parallel beams are de-magnified to form the array of patches of light. Such a light source has application in illuminating dynamically-addressable focusing elements such as phase modulators, deformable mirrors and dynamically addressable lenses. Light projectors for a wide variety of applications may combine a light source as described herein with a dynamically-addressable focusing element to project defined patterns of light.

Abstract: Image display apparatus and methods may use a single imaging element such as a digital mirror device (DMD) to spatially modulate plural color channels. A color channel may include a light steering element such as a phase modulator. Steered light from a light steering element may be combined with or replaced by additional light to better display bright images. These technologies may be provided together or applied individually.

Abstract: Light projection systems and methods may comprise combining light from two or more projectors. Each projector may be controlled so that the combined light output of the projectors matches a target for the projected light. In some embodiments optimization is performed to generate image data and control signals for each of the projectors. Embodiments may be applied in image projecting applications, lighting applications, and 3D stereoscopic imaging.

Abstract: A light source includes a plurality of laser diodes or other light emitters. Beams of light from the light emitters are steered to provide n array of parallel beams that illuminate a target area with an array of patches of light. In some embodiments the parallel beams are de-magnified to form the array of patches of light. Such a light source has application in illuminating dynamically-addressable focusing elements such as phase modulators, deformable mirrors and dynamically addressable lenses. Light projectors for a wide variety of applications may combine a light source as described herein with a dynamically-addressable focusing element to project defined patterns of light.

Abstract: A free-form lens (for example a phase modulator, lens or deformable mirror) may be made to reproduce a light pattern specified by image data. Source regions on the free-form lens are mapped to target regions areas on an image. Areas of the source regions are adjusted to vary the amount of light delivered to each of the target regions. Adjustment of the source areas may be achieved using a L-BFGS optimization which preferably incorporates smoothness and curl regularizers. Embodiments apply parallel processing to obtain control values for a free form lens in real time or near real time. Apparatus may process image data and display an image by controlling a dynamically variable free form lens using the processed image data.

Abstract: Image display apparatus and methods may use a single imaging element such as a digital mirror device (DMD) to spatially modulate plural color channels. A color channel may include a light steering element such as a phase modulator. Steered light from a light steering element may be combined with or replaced by additional light to better display bright images. These technologies may be provided together or applied individually.

Abstract: A new projector design combines one spatial light modulator that affects only the phase of the illumination, and one spatial light modulator that only affects its amplitude (intensity). The phase-only modulator curves the wavefront of light and acts as a pre-modulator for a conventional amplitude modulator. This approach works with both white light and laser illumination, generating a coarse image representation efficiently, thus enabling, within a single image frame, significantly elevated highlights as well as darker black levels while reducing the overall light source power requirements.

Abstract: Light projection systems and methods may comprise combining light from two or more projectors. Each projector may be controlled so that the combined light output of the projectors matches a target for the projected light. In some embodiments optimization is performed to generate image data and control signals for each of the projectors. Embodiments may be applied in image projecting applications, lighting applications, and 3D stereoscopic imaging.

Abstract: Projection displays include a highlight projector and a main projector. Highlights projected by the highlight projector boost luminance in highlight areas of a base image projected by the main projector. Various highlight projectors including steerable beams, holographic projectors and spatial light modulators are described.

Abstract: A global image adjustment, such as dynamic range adjustment is established based on image characteristics. The image adjustment is based more heavily on pixel values in image areas identified as being important by one or more saliency mapping algorithms. In one application to dynamic range adjustment, a saliency map is applied to create a weighed histogram and a transformation is determined from the weighted histogram. Artifacts typical of local adjustment schemes may be avoided.

Abstract: Undesirably high energy-consumption in illuminating devices can be caused at least in part by wasted (attenuated) light. Optically efficient illumination systems that may be used to project light, including images, use light redirection. Phase modulating devices may be applied to create desired light fields. Some embodiments provide dual or multiple modulation display or projection systems in which some or all of the modulators not only attenuate amplitude, but also amplify amplitude, or change the phase, frequency and polarization of the light provided by the light source.

Abstract: One or more versions of video or other image content may be generated by obtaining first histogram data for a first version of the video content; obtaining a second version of the video content; obtaining second histogram data for the second version of the video content; generating a mapping from the second version of the video content to an additional version of the video content by performing a number of iterations of a progressive histogram matching algorithm, the number of iterations being fewer than a maximum number of iterations of the progressive histogram matching algorithm; and applying the mapping to generate the additional version of the video content from the second version of the video content.